McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
British Bullfinch [male] & [female]
Eurasian Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Cha. Collins Fect. April 1743;
Item
1 watercolour painting ; 56 x 39 cm + 1 leaf
Charles Collins was an Irish painter, known for his portraits of animals and still-lifes. He achieved success in England painting exotic birds, game, dogs and dead game still-lifes. He was the painter for Robert Furber’s ‘Twelve Months of Fruit’ (1732). In 1736 he published in collaboration with John Lee a set of 12 large engravings, coloured by hand, of British birds in landscape and garden settings, entitled Icones avium cum nominibus anglicis. He then came to the attention of Taylor White, who engaged him to paint birds from his and others’ collections until 1743. Collins died in 1744, when he was described as ‘Bird Painter to the Royal Society.’
Drawing of a pair of Eurasian Bullfinches from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Northeast Asia].
Manuscript note on front of drawing: British Bullfinch [male] & [female] (Pyrrhula pyrrhula pileata) Cha. Collins Fect. April 1743;
Manuscript note on back of drawing: The Bulfinch
Scientific name: Pyrrhula pyrrhula
With manuscript text on accompanying leaf.
Transcription of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Passeri Loxia
Pyrrhula
Loxia artubus nigris tectricibus caudae
remigum posticarum albis. L.N.S. [sic] p.171
Habitat in Europae sylvis,
sorbi disseminator
The
Bul-finch
Translation of manuscript note on accompanying leaf: Aves Passeri Loxia
Pyrrhula
Loxia with black limbs [wings], white covert feathers on the tail,
and white flight feathers at the rear of the wings. L.N.S. [sic] p. 171
It lives in the forests of Europe,
and scatters the serviceberry.
The
Bul-finch